Cheap Food Exports

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made on the impact of cheap food exports to developing countries from the EU on the economies of those countries; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development supports a range of research on the impacts of developed countries agricultural policies on developing countries. One current programme is with the United Nations Food and Agricultural organisation (FAO) on the impacts of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) agricultural policies on developing countries. The research outputs are available at: www.fao.org/trade. The Government recognise the damaging impact that trade-distorting subsidies in the EU and other OECD countries have on developing countries and we are committed to securing reductions in these subsidies, through the reform of the common agricultural policy and the World Trade Organisation talks.
	The most recent common agricultural policy reform package agreed in 2003–04 marks a significant shift in the EU's agricultural policy. The de-coupling of subsidies from production should increase the market orientation of European farmers, leading to reductions in production and disposal of subsidised surpluses abroad.
	The Government also fully support the commitment made as part of the WTO's Doha Development Agenda 'to reduce, with a view to phasing out, all forms of export subsidies, and substantial reductions in trade-distorting domestic support'. We are pushing strongly for progress towards this at the upcoming WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong.

Fair Trade

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's policy is on trade with developing countries; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The UK Government are committed to the development of an open and rules-based international trading system that fulfils its potential to contribute to the reduction of poverty in poorer countries. Our key policy commitments on trade and development, as well as our objectives for the current round of multilateral trade talks, are set out in the Government's White Papers, "Making Globalisation a Force for Good" (July 2004) and "Eliminating World Poverty: Making Globalisation Work for the Poor" (December 2000). The UK Government are working hard to support the poorest and most vulnerable producers, be it through multilateral negotiations in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) or regional trade agreements such as the Economic Partnership Agreements.
	At the G8 summit in Gleneagles in July, we made real and substantial progress for developing countries on more and better aid, deeper debt relief, and re-affirmed our commitment to a successful conclusion to the current round of WTO trade talks. The G8 also agreed to provide increased funds for trade related capacity building to assist developing countries take advantage of the new opportunities from a positive conclusion to the round. There is increased international support for increased 'Aid for Trade' as reflected at the recent World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) meetings and the G8 summit in Gleneagles. It is important that we build rapidly on the outcome of these meetings.
	The forthcoming WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong represents an important opportunity to make a significant contribution to reducing global poverty. The UK Government are working to achieve an outcome that delivers real gains for developing countries, including the poorest. These gains should include improved participation by developing countries in the world trading system, through substantially increased market access for developing countries and the dismantling of trade-distorting agricultural subsidies by industrialised countries.

Palm Oil

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and (b) others on the destruction of the habitat of the orang-utan due to the increased demand for palm oil in the UK.

Gareth Thomas: Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development have discussed this issue with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
	The UK Government is in discussion with EU member states about the threats to tropical rainforests caused by oil palm expansion and is taking the following steps to tackle this problem.
	My right hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity, Mr. Jim Knight, recently represented the UK at an inter-governmental meeting on the Great Apes Survival Project (GRASP) which covers orang-utans. The Kinshasa intergovernmental meeting in September, formally adopted a Global Great Apes Conservation Strategy and an aspirational declaration. This commits range states of great apes to a number of actions and targets, including slowing the loss of great apes and their forest habitats by 2010.
	The UK has been wholly supportive of the GRASP mission. The Government, through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), has committed around £600,000 to the Great Apes Survival Project.
	The UK Government also supports the conservation and sustainable management of rainforests. DFID, together with DEFRA and FCO, is helping developing countries to address the governance and market failures that drive illegal and unsustainable logging of forests. DFID supports the Multistakeholder Forestry Programme in Indonesia which is strengthening forest management and helping to protect forest habitats, including those of the orang-utan.
	Defra, through the Darwin Initiative, is also helping countries to design and implement conservation measures to address the loss of forest biodiversity and rare natural habitats.

Water and Sanitation (Funding)

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  if he will use the UK's presidency of the EU to ensure that the commitments in the United Nations Millennium Review Summit Outcome Document for better targeting of aid are applied by all EU member states to their aid for water and sanitation;
	(2)  if he will use the UK's presidency of the EU to ensure that the recommendation of the Commission for Africa for a reversal starting in 2005 of the decline in aid for water and sanitation is adopted by all member states.

Hilary Benn: The UK presidency is actively engaged in negotiations with the European Commission and European Parliament to agree a new Development Policy Statement that will set the framework within which all EU aid is spent. DFID is working to ensure that the Statement agrees that aid is focused on poverty reduction, meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDG)s—including those related to water and sanitation—and the needs identified by partner countries. I chaired a debate about the statement at the informal meeting of EU Development Ministers in Leeds on 25 October. It is hoped that we will reach final agreement at the meeting of EU Development Ministers that I will chair in Brussels 22 November.
	I have also tabled a paper on EU aid effectiveness that will be, debated at the same meeting. This includes language on promoting a more effective allocation of resources and asking member states to publish projections of aid by type, including water and sanitation, and country over the next three years and if possible longer.
	The 22 November Council will also agree a contribution to a new EU Strategy for Africa that should be agreed at the December European Council. The Strategy will include action on water and sanitation. We are hopeful that this will result in member states increasing their allocations to water supply and sanitation.

World Trade

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the Government's policy is on encouraging countries to privatise public services in return for other changes to world trade rules which would benefit the countries concerned.

Gareth Thomas: Increasing the access, coverage and quality of water, education and health services is vital if countries are to reach the Millennium Development Goals. In March 2005, DFID published a policy paper entitled "Partnerships for Poverty Reduction: changing aid 'conditionally'". The policy commits us to only using conditionality to ensure that aid is used effectively for the purposes intended and can be accounted for to the UK Parliament.
	We are committed to supporting governments in developing countries to make their own decisions about how to develop their economies and provide services to their people, based on evidence of what works best to reduce poverty. DFID will not make aid conditional on specific policy decisions by partner governments or attempt to impose policy choices on them, including in sensitive economic areas such as privatisation or trade liberalisation.
	DFID also encourages developing countries to make their own decisions about service delivery, including whether or not to open their service sectors to foreign providers. However, developing countries are not obliged to accept any request or to open up their services sectors. It all comes down to which option is the most effective in reducing poverty, a decision for governments of developing countries to make through their own political process. Nothing in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) forces them to privatise or prevents them from establishing appropriate regulation.

Biomass Industry

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which biomass (a) products and (b) by-products have been reclassified as waste since 1997.

Margaret Beckett: No biomass products or biomass by-products have been reclassified as waste since 1997.
	The definition of "waste" in force in Great Britain since May 1994 is the definition in Article 1(a) of the Waste Framework Directive (as amended) which provides that waste is . . . any substance or object . . . which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard." Whether or not a substance is discarded as waste is a matter which must be determined on the facts of the case and the interpretation of the law is a matter for the courts. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has issued several judgments on the interpretation of the definition of waste and the meaning of "discard". ECJ judgments are binding on member states and their "competent authorities".
	It rests in the first place with the producer or holder of a substance to decide whether it is being discarded as waste. However, the Environment Agency is designated as a competent authority for the purposes of implementing the directive in England and Wales. It is the agency's view that residues from the incineration or co-incineration of biomass (e.g. poultry litter) disposed of as waste in compliance with the EU Animal By-products Regulation are waste within the meaning of the directive.
	The classification of a substance as waste does not preclude its use. For example, waste ash from the incineration or co-incineration of biomass may be used as a fertiliser and spread to land for benefit to agriculture. The Government continue to encourage the recovery of waste by means of recycling, re-use and reclamation. This encouragement includes the use of the Government's discretion under Article 11 of the waste framework directive to provide exemptions from waste management licensing. Licensing exemptions for the recovery of certain kinds of waste ash are provided in paragraphs 9A, 13 and 19A of Schedule 3 to the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 (as amended).

Biomass Industry

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which Government body is the main source of advice for the biomass industry.

Margaret Beckett: In common with other policies and issues which are wide-ranging in their impact on the UK, there are a number of Government bodies which offer advice to the biomass industry. Defra and the Department of Trade and Industry advise on Government policy and the grants available to farmers and biomass developers. Defra also issues best practice guidance on growing energy crops and the Forestry Commission provides advice on woodfuel production and management. The Environment Agency advises on pollution control. Advice on developing local biomass projects is available from the Regional Development Agencies. Advice is also available from private bodies which received Government funding, such as the Community Renewables Initiative local support teams which help to promote local biomass projects, and the Carbon Trust which advises on the development of low carbon technologies and businesses.
	The Biomass Task Force report, published on 25 October, recommends that the Carbon Trust should be the national focus of knowledge and analysis on biomass energy, with dissemination by the Regional Development Agencies. The report also recommends that technical, economic and best practice information is brought together and made available to stakeholders. The Government have committed themselves to publishing a full response to the report within the next six months.

Biomass Industry

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what was the average size of grants made for biomass energy projects in each year since 1997.

Margaret Beckett: The average size of grants for Defra and Forestry Commission biomass energy grant schemes are as follows:
	
		Grant scheme £
		
			  Energy crops scheme   
			  Establishment grants Producer groups Woodland grant scheme Community energy programme 
		
		
			 1997 — — 2,276 — 
			 1998 — — 2,185 — 
			 1999 — — 6,584 — 
			 2000 — — 13,235 — 
			 2001 17,245 — 948 — 
			 2002 11,193 — 480 — 
			 2003 4,137 22,199 253 47,459 
			 2004 12,626 13,565 304 445,196

Carriage Gates

Philip Hammond: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission for what reasons the wrought iron gates at Carriage Gates have been removed; and when they are expected to be replaced.

Nick Harvey: The wrought iron "Out" gates at Carriage Gates were removed for repair following an accident, and for installation of improved hinges. They were returned on 5 October.

Carers (Devon)

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time carers there were in each local authority area in the county of Devon as recorded by the 2001 census; how many provided more than 50 hours care per week; and what estimate the Government have made of those figures since the census.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Adrian Sanders, dated 14 November 2005
	As National Statistician 1 have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many full-time carers there were in each local authority area in the county of Devon as recorded by the 2001 Census; how many provided more than 50 hours care per week; and what estimate the Government has made of those figures since the Census. (27005)
	We have interpreted the ambiguous phrase "carer" to mean any person who provides unpaid care.
	The table below shows the number of people in each local authority in the county of Devon on Census day (29 April 2001) who were providing unpaid care, and of those how many were providing more than 50 hours of unpaid care per week. The data have been taken from table KS08 in Census 2001 Key Statistics for local authorities in England and Wales which is available in the House of Commons Library.
	The Office for National Statistics has not conducted a survey since the 2001 Census which specifically asked questions about the provision of unpaid care.
	
		Number of people in each local authority in the county of Devon providing unpaid care—Census day (29 April 2001)
		
			   Provision of unpaid care 
			 Area All people All people who provide unpaid care All people who provide unpaid care: 50 or more hours of care a week 
		
		
			 Devon county 704,493 72,969 14,491 
			 East Devon 125,520 13,764 2,542 
			 Exeter 111,076 9,896 2,036 
			 Mid-Devon 69,774 6,942 1,314 
			 North Devon 87,508 8,993 1,839 
			 South Hams 81,849 9,109 1,625 
			 Teignbridge 120,958 12,785 2,709 
			 Torridge 58,965 6,249 1,401 
			 West Devon 48,843 5,231 1,025 
		
	
	Source:
	Table KS08 Census 2001 Key Statistics for local authorities in England and Wales.

Consumer Debt

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will break down the £1.130 billion of consumer debt in the United Kingdom confirmed by the Bank of England into categories of expenditure.

Ivan Lewis: The Bank of England's lending to individuals figures show that the total debt stock in September 2005 was £1,130 billion. This figure can be broken down into two major components; consumer credit stock (£190.795 billion) and secured stock (£939.456 billion).
	Consumer credit stock consists of that on credit cards (55.895 billion) and other (£134.863 billion).
	The majority of secured lending is used for house purchases, but there are no figures available as to the eventual use of consumer credit.

Economic Performance

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the UK's economic performance in comparison with other major European countries.

Ivan Lewis: This year we have faced the highest sustained oil prices for a quarter of a century and a slow-down in our main export markets. In any previous decade anyone of these would have pushed the UK economy into recession. In contrast, this year the economy has not only continued to grow, but grown faster than any other major European economy.
	The Treasury paper on "Global Europe: Full employment Europe" set out the need for Europe, with growth at 1.2 per cent. this year and unemployment approaching 10 per cent., to become outward not inward looking, focused on external competition, and to combine flexibility with fairness.

Private Finance Initiative

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many private finance initiative (PFI) contracts have a duration of more than 25 years; and whether the value of these contracts is included in the 2005 Budget Red Book estimated PFI expenditure of £138.4 billion.

John Healey: The Treasury does not hold specific information on how many signed PFI contracts have a duration of more than 25 years. The estimated unitary charges of all PFI projects are included in table C19 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report 2005. The format of this table is in line with the Dear Accounting Officer letter "Reporting PFI Contracts to Parliament" published by the Treasury Officer of Accounts in 2000.
	The quoted figure of £138.4 billion represents an aggregation of estimated nominal payments that cannot be interpreted as Government's present liability. Payments that have been made within signed PFI projects are included within departmental accounts.

Revenue and Customs

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the transcript of the recent interview given by Mr. David Varney, Chairman of HM Revenue and Customs, to the Financial Times on 5 July 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The FT story of July wrongly asserted that David Varney had said the structure of tax credits "may have to change". A transcript of his remarks to the FT is available in the Library of the House.

Travel (Economic Value)

Richard Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the economic value of (a) EU-based and (b) non-EU based travel into the UK in each of the last eight years was; and what his Department's estimate is for the next financial year.

John Healey: Spending by overseas residents in the UK is described as 'earnings' (by UK residents) rather than 'expenditure' (by overseas residents). The figures for the last eight years are shown in the following table.
	
		Overseas residents visits to the UK: Earnings by UK residents at current prices £000
		
			  EU-25 Non-EU 
		
		
			 1997 5,305 6,939 
			 1998 5,374 7,297 
			 1999 5,057 7,441 
			 2000 4,858 7,947 
			 2001 4,344 6,962 
			 2002 4,742 6,995 
			 2003 5,018 6,837 
			 2004 5,677 7,370 
		
	
	HM Treasury provide forecasts for volumes of exports of goods and services, but do not make forecasts for individual components of these exports.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment the Valuation Office Agency has made of the effect on a property's notional valuation if that property is assigned a value significance code of US (utility: adj. radio mast, sub-station, pylon, etc).

Dawn Primarolo: When assigning dwellings to council tax bands, the Valuation Office Agency have to consider the characteristics of each property, which may affect value. The agency have sought to capture information about proximity to radio masts etc under one of the "value significant codes " as a characteristic that may affect value. Whether the value is affected, and to what extent, depends on the circumstances of individual case.

Electricity

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of an average electricity bill covers the costs of electricity generated but subsequently lost in (a) production, (b) transmission, (c) distribution and (d) energy inefficiency within the household.

Malcolm Wicks: The price of electricity varies over time. The value of losses will be dependent on the value of electricity at the time the losses occurred. This means it is very difficult to determine an accurate value of the level of losses in England and Wales.
	A certain amount of electricity is used by generators to operate their businesses. Generators have strong financial incentives to restrict their losses as any electricity lost means they have less to sell. Approximately 1.5 per cent. of the electricity put on to the transmission network is lost. This represents approximately 0.6 per cent. of the average standard credit electricity bill. The level of electricity lost on the distribution networks varies from network to network. The simple average of losses on distribution networks is 6.3 per cent. This equates to about 2.4 per cent. of the average standard credit electricity bill. There are no figures available to answer the fourth part of this question. Energy inefficiency in the household is being tackled and the Government supports the Energy Savings Trust's save 20 per cent. campaign.

Nuclear Power

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list meetings (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department attended in the last three months at which nuclear power was discussed; and who attended each meeting.

Malcolm Wicks: Following is a list of meetings in the last three months at which DTI Ministers specifically discussed nuclear power.
	Secretary of State
	19 October
	Meeting to discuss Sellafield and safety issues
	Irish Minister for the Environment
	Minister of State for Energy
	11 July 2005
	Meeting to discuss Sellafield MOX Plant
	DTI officials
	14 July 2005
	Meeting to discuss nuclear industry issues
	Representatives of the Nuclear Industry Association
	21 July 2005
	Meeting to discuss Sellafield
	DTI officials
	8 September 2005
	Meeting to discuss nuclear issues
	Representative of the US Nuclear Energy Institute
	11 October 2005
	Meeting to discuss nuclear industry issues
	Representatives of British Energy
	Parliamentary Undersecretary of State
	5 September 2005
	Meeting to discuss nuclear industry issues
	Representatives of BNFL
	13 October 2005
	Meeting to discuss nuclear industry issues
	Representatives of British Energy.

Air Pollution

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what targets his Department has set for air levels of (a) carbon monoxide, (b) lead, (c) nitrogen dioxide, (d) particles, (e) benzene and (f) 1.3 butadiene.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government and Devolved Administrations air quality policies are set out in detail in the "Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland", published in January 2000. An Addendum to the Strategy was published in February 2003. Copies of both documents are available in the Library of the House.
	The strategy sets objectives for nine main air pollutants to protect human health and two objectives to protect vegetation and ecosystems. The air pollutants covered by the strategy are benzene; 1,3-butadiene; carbon monoxide; lead; nitrogen dioxide; particles (PM10); ozone; sulphur dioxide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Inter-urban Congestion

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the level of inter-urban congestion was (a) in 2000 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available; and what the predicted level for 2010 is.

Stephen Ladyman: In 2000, congestion was measured on the basis of average vehicle delay, using data derived from floating car surveys, and comparing actual traffic speeds with those that would be achievable by a car in the absence of other traffic. Full details of the methodology are available on the Department's website at:
	www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_transstats/documents/page/dft_transstats_021863.pdf
	Under this measure, the estimated average vehicle delay in 2000 in England was 3.2 seconds lost per vehicle kilometre (sec/vkm) on inter-urban motorways and trunk roads.
	The Government published predictions of the level of average vehicle delay in the "Transport Ten Year Plan 2000: Delivering better transport—progress report" (December 2002) to which I refer the hon. Member. The Progress Report also announced that the Government were developing new indicators of congestion that would be more meaningful to road users and capture important aspects of congestion such as journey time reliability.
	In July 2005 the Department announced a new indicator of congestion looking at the reliability of journey times. Details are on the Department's website at http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_about/documents/page/dft_about_030578–01.hcspP61_1195.
	The first data using the new indicator will be published in November 2005.

Marine Pollution

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list (a) marine, (b) oil and (c) other pollution incidences recorded in United Kingdom waters in each year since 1990 from shipping registered in (i) the UK, (ii) the EU and (iii) other countries; what actions were taken to clean up in each case; what the cost was; by whom this was paid; what fines were levied; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: Information is not available in the form requested.
	The Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea (ACOPS) produced a report entitled "Long-term analysis of oil spill statistics for the waters around the British Isles 1964 to 1995". For this period the trend was for a consistent and continuing decline in the numbers of pollution incidents in UK waters accompanied by reductions in the annual total number of incidents attributed to the handling and transportation of oil around the UK coastline. The annual reports that have been produced between 1995 and 2004 have shown a continuation in these trends.
	The United Kingdom follows the internationally recognised 3-tiered classification of marine pollution. A Tier-3 spill would require a national response and activation of the national contingency plan.
	The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has a robust cost recovery regime that ensures, where possible the polluter pays principle is applied. A recent example of this principle followed the grounding of the tug Vanguard in the Inner Sound between the Isle of Skye and the mainland in September 2004. MCA resources including equipment from national stockpiles were deployed. All costs incurred by the MCA have been recovered.

Road Accidents

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by how much the number of individuals killed and seriously injured on roads changed in (a) 2000 and (b) 2005 to date compared with 1994 to 1998 levels (i) in England and (ii) in relation to (A) children aged under 16 years and (B) adults, broken down by social class; and what the predicted levels are for 2010.

Stephen Ladyman: The numbers of child (aged 0 to 15) and adult killed and seriously injured casualties in personal injury road accidents in England for the years 2000 and 2004 (the latest year for which figures are available), compared with the 1994–98 baseline average and the percentage change are shown in following table.
	
		
			  Child KSI Adult KSI 
		
		
			 1994–98(3) 5,729 35,085 
			 2000 4,417 31,449 
			 2004 3,353 26,418 
			 2002(4) -23 -10 
			 2004(4) -41 -25 
		
	
	(3) Average
	(4) Percentage change over.
	Information on social class of casualties is not available. The Department's projection is that it remains on track to achieve the casualty reduction targets set out in the March 2000 road safety strategy "Tomorrow's roads—safer for everyone".

Afghanistan

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of British armed forces' presence in Afghanistan on the supply of heroin to the UK.

John Reid: First let me extend my condolences to the family and friends of Lance Corporal Steven Sherwood of the Royal Gloucestershire Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment who was killed in a shooting incident at Mazar-e-Sharif last month, and to the family and friends of Sergeant Christian Hickey of the 1st Battalion the Coldstream Guards who was killed by an improvised explosive device in Basra last month.
	British forces are in Afghanistan to deny terrorists a base by helping the Government to develop their democracy, security, and economy. If the economy is to thrive we must help the Afghan Government to tackle the narcotics trade which also feeds 90 per cent. of the heroin supply in the UK. This is in the interests of both our countries.
	My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces has today issued a statement on contingency planning for phase three of ISAF.

Iraq

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what troop movements are anticipated in Iraq during the next three months.

John Reid: The routine roulement of UK forces in Multi-National Division (South East) (MND(SE)), began in October, and is due to complete by the end of November. The next routine roulement of UK forces is expected to take place in May 2006, and will be announced in due course.

Iraq

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many (a) Sea King, (b) Merlin and (c) Lynx helicopters are deployed to Iraq; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the helicopter flying hours are for Multi National Division South East for each month since May; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what proportion of British troop movements within Multi National Division (South East) in Iraq is conducted by (a) air and (b) road; and if he will make a statement.

John Reid: We currently have 20 helicopters in the Multi National Division (South East). For reasons of operational security we do not comment upon the exact breakdown of these aircraft by type, the flying hours for the Multi National Division (South East) or on the proportion of British movements overall in MND (SE) that are conducted by air. Information on the proportion of British movements conducted by air and road is not held centrally. Priority for the allocation of helicopter use is an operational decision.

Advisory Bodies

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government is required to (a) consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) publish their response to advice from.

Don Touhig: The MOD has no Advisory Non-Departmental Public Bodies (ANDPBs) which the Government is required to consult prior to legislative proposals being made.
	The Government is required to publish its responses to recommendations made by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body. Government and ANDPBs are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.

Departmental Consultants/Special Advisers

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) consultants and (b) special advisers were employed by his Department in each year since 1997; what the cost of each was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: Specific data on the number of consultants employed by the Ministry of Defence is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, summaries of MOD expenditure on External Assistance, of which consultancy is a part, are available in the Library of the House for the years 1995–96 to 2004–05.
	With respect to Special Advisers, this information is collated separately and is announced to the House at the end of each Parliamentary session. My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced on 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 161WS, that the MOD had two Special Advisers who were employed within Special Advisers Pay Band 2 and 3 respectively.

Gulf War Immunisations

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes were made to the (a) number and (b) nature of the immunisations against chemical and biological weapons given to service personnel for service in the 2003 Gulf War compared with those given for service in the 1990–91 Gulf war.

Don Touhig: A total of two immunisations against chemical and biological weapons were offered to service personnel deploying on Operation Granby ("1990–1 Gulf war"). The immunisations were for anthrax (which was administered with a pertussis adjuvant) and for plague.
	A total of two immunisations against chemical and biological weapons were offered to service personnel deploying on Operation Telic ("2003 Gulf war"). The immunisations were for anthrax (without a pertussis adjuvant) and for smallpox. The latter was only offered to a small cohort of personnel which included nuclear biological and chemical specialists and medical personnel who would have been part of the first response in the event of a smallpox incident.

Military/Police Assistance

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department has published on military and related police assistance provided to foreign governments since 27 February 1998.

Adam Ingram: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 22 June 2005, Official Report, columns 1062–64W; 20 July 2005, Official Report, column 1751W; 10 October 2005, Official Report, columns 19–20W; and 24 October 2005, Official Report, column 26W, all of which provide relevant information.
	The Ministry of Defence regularly publishes general information on military assistance to foreign governments, most recently in Delivering Security in a Changing World, Supporting Essays (Cm 6041–11) and the Ministry of Defence Annual Reports and Accounts 2004–2005 (HC 464).

Royal Ordnance

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date and on whose authority did the project of joint subsidiary take place between the Société National des Poudres et Explosifs and Royal Ordnance for the manufacture of military powders and explosives.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is aware that discussions took place some years ago between Royal Ordnance (now BAE Systems Land Systems) and Société National des Poudres et Explosifs with a view to a joint venture. No final agreement was reached between the two companies.

Departmental Contracts (Direct Mail)

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister how many contracts for direct mail were signed by his Department in (a) 2005–06 to date and (b) 2004–05; and what the value was in each case.

Tony Blair: For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I have therefore asked my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office to reply. A copy of the reply will be placed in the Library of the House.

London Bombings

David Drew: To ask the Prime Minister who the attendees were at the meeting he held with representatives of the Muslim community following the London bombings of 7 July; if he will publish the notes of the meeting; and what action he plans to take as a result of that meeting.

Tony Blair: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, North-East (Mr. Hamilton) on 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 165W.
	I also refer my hon. Friend to the comments made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Home Office (Hazel Blears) on 10 November 2005, which set out the follow-up action the Government have taken in partnership with representatives of the Muslim community. Copies are available on the Home Office website.

Ministerial Travel

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost was of each Minister's unplanned return journey to London for the Terrorism Bill debate and votes on Wednesday 9 November.

Philip Hammond: To ask the Prime Minister what the total cost to public funds was of Ministers and accompanying officials (a) returning to Westminster for parliamentary votes on 9 November and (b) returning thereafter to resume official duties away from Westminster.

Tony Blair: Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. Copies of these lists are available in the Library of the House. Information on the number of officials accompanying Ministers on overseas visits is included in the list. All Ministers' travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel set out in Chapter 10 of the Ministerial Code, and the accompanying guidance document, "Travel by Ministers".
	Information for the year 2005–06 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the financial year.

Typhoon Fighter Planes

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Prime Minister what the total cost was of his trip in July to discuss the sale of BAE Systems' Typhoon fighter planes to the Saudi Arabian defence forces; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I visited Saudi Arabia in July 2005 to have talks with HRH Crown Prince Abdullah and other senior Ministers and officials. We discussed a wide range of issues including the Middle East Peace Process, Iraq, our bilateral relationship and the issues facing the G8 Summit at Gleneagles.
	Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. Copies of these lists are available in the Library of the House. Information on the number of officials accompanying Ministers on overseas visits is included in the list. All Ministers travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel set out in chapter 10 of the Ministerial Code, and the accompanying guidance document, "Travel by Ministers". Information for the year 2005–06 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the financial year.

Education

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of children in the West Lancashire area left school at the minimum age in each of the last five years, broken down by ward.

Jacqui Smith: The earliest that a young person can leave school is on the last Friday in June after they turn 16. There is no information available on how many pupils leave from this point in the academic year. The most readily available figures are for young people in post-compulsory education at the end of the calendar year.
	The percentages of 16-year-olds not in post-compulsory education or work-based learning (WBL—e.g. apprenticeships) in Lancashire local authority (LA) are given in the table. Figures are provided for 1999/2000 to 2003/04 (the latest available). Participation estimates are not available below LA level.
	
		Participation by 16-year-olds in Lancashire LA Percentage
		
			 As at end of the calendar year: 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003(11) 
		
		
			 Full-time Education 66 66 65 66 66 
			 Work-based Learning (WBL) 12 11 11 10 10 
			 Part-time Education 5 5 5 4 4 
			 Total in Education and WBL(12) 82 82 80 80 80 
			   
			 Not in Full-time Education 34 34 35 34 34 
			 Not in Education or WBL 18 18 20 20 20 
		
	
	(11) Provisional.
	(12) Total of all full-time and part-time education and WBL, less WBL provision in education institutions.
	Source:
	The latest Statistical First Release "Participation in education and training by 16 and 17-year-olds in each local area in England".

Holland Park Secondary School

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the plans to sell off Holland Park Secondary School; and whether the governors of Holland Park Secondary School had apprised her Department of their proposal to sell off the school.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 10 November 2005
	In January 2004, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea applied, with the knowledge and consent of the Governors of Holland Park Secondary School, to dispose of part of the school site. The land to be sold consists of a hard play court, a gymnasium and a small swimming pool. Only the sale of the hard play court needs the Secretary of State's consent.
	The proceeds of sale of this land will be used towards the costs of redeveloping the school on its northern site. The outcome will be a brand new state of the art school with some first class sports facilities. Consent was given on 25 March 2004.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the steps she is taking to ensure the public service agreement target for the percentage of children in all schools achieving five GCSEs at grades A*-C is met.

Jacqui Smith: Provisional 2005 results show that 55.7 per cent. of pupils achieved five or more GCSEs or equivalent at grades A*-C. This represents an increase of two percentage points compared with 2004 and an increase of 10.6 percentage points compared with 1997. The Department has a number of initiatives to ensure that schools receive the resources, advice and support that they need to raise attainment further at key stage 4. The key stage 3 national strategy has extended to become a full secondary national strategy for school improvement designed to raise standards, particularly in the core subjects, for all secondary school pupils. It is introducing excellent teaching and learning practices into every classroom through CPD, teaching materials and consultancy support. In addition, the secondary performance project draws on the expertise of successful schools and the Specialist Schools Trust to work in partnership with around 400 schools underperforming in value added terms.
	The White Paper "Higher Standards, Better Schools for All" published last month sets out our plans to improve standards further, particularly by providing significant new incentives for schools to tailor education to the needs of every child and focus on the basics of English and mathematics.

Selection

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what definition of (a) selection by aptitude and (b) selection by ability she used in her recent White Paper.

Jacqui Smith: 'Ability' is defined in statute by section 99(5)(b) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 as
	"either general ability or ability in any particular subject or subjects".
	Paragraph 7.11 of the statutory school admissions code of practice defines a pupil with aptitude as
	"one who is identified as being able to benefit from teaching in a specific subject, or who demonstrates a particular capacity to succeed in that subject".

Sure Start

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on progress towards the Sure Start target to reduce the proportion of mothers who smoke during pregnancy.

Beverley Hughes: Our target is to reduce the number of women in Sure Start local programme areas who smoke during pregnancy by 6 per cent. between 2003 and 2006. Up until March 2004 we have achieved a reduction of 1.4 per cent.
	Programmes carry out a wide range of activities to reduce smoking from work with pregnant mothers to "smoke free homes initiatives" and preventative work with school children. Some programmes have performed particularly well, reporting up to 25 per cent. reductions in some areas and we are encouraging them to share good practice. This is a challenging target with many programmes working in communities where smoking is the cultural norm. We know that programmes find this work easier where the PCT takes a strong strategic lead, for example, by providing training, advice or help with funding for programmes smoking cessation workers or midwives.

Under-achievement

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the impact of the accessibility of extra-curricular activities, including sports, upon under-achievement (a) nationally and (b) by children from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Jacqui Smith: Research shows that there are significant benefits for young people participating in study support (out of school hours learning) activities. In June 2001, my Department published "The Impact of Study Support", which set out the findings of a three-year longitudinal study of around 8,000 pupils in 52 secondary schools. The research found that pupils participating in study support do better than their peers who do not in three key areas—attainment, attitudes to school and attendance at school. The study also indicated that minority ethnic pupils and pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds gain most benefit, and that participation increases the likelihood of subsequent participation. Young people can benefit from a wide range of activities, not just those which are linked to curriculum subjects.
	A recent MORI survey by my Department showed that the most popular study support activities are PE and sport. In addition to the health and fitness benefits, the medium of sport can be used to enhance young people's numeracy and literacy skills, as well as contributing to improved motivation and behaviour.

Under-achievement

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the capacity of schools to provide one-to-one teaching to tackle under-achievement by pupils from low socio-economic backgrounds;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the potential impact of one-to-one teaching upon under-achievement by pupils from low socio-economic backgrounds;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the potential impact of tailored teaching upon under-achievement by pupils from low socio-economic backgrounds;
	(4)  what assessment she has made of the potential impact of personalised learning upon under-achievement by pupils from low socio-economic backgrounds;
	(5)  what action is being taken by her Department to ensure that children from low socio-economic backgrounds in secondary education (a) attain the necessary skills and (b) achieve the best possible results;
	(6)  what action is being taken by her Department to promote opportunity for children from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Jacqui Smith: Good schools have been personalising their teaching and learning, with great success for many years to raise standards and meet the learning needs of their pupils. We know that personalising learning, which includes assessment for learning; high quality tailored whole class, small group and one-to-one teaching; a flexible curriculum, effective school organisation and strong partnerships beyond the school, can raise pupil achievement particularly for low achieving pupils who disproportionately tend to be from low socio-economic backgrounds. We now want this to be common practice across all schools, particularly for children at either end of the ability spectrum whose needs can be the most challenging to meet.
	We will therefore allocate £335 million by 2007–08, specifically earmarked within our Dedicated Schools Grant, to provide the resources secondary schools need to start delivering personalised learning for pupils in Key Stage 3, focusing funding on deprived areas, particularly for those who have fallen behind in literacy and numeracy and for those who are gifted or talented. For those schools with the highest numbers of children who have fallen behind we will provide a further targeted £60 million in each of 2006–07 and 2007–08, shared across the primary and secondary sectors, to provide more effective one-to-one and small group tuition. We will also provide all schools with best practice materials, guidance and access to training on the most effective teaching and learning strategies to personalise learning to the needs of each pupil.
	Through School Improvement Partners and the new OFSTED inspection regime we will challenge every school to demonstrate they are planning and delivering effective tailored teaching and learning for every child, particularly for underachieving groups of pupils, including those from low socio-economic backgrounds, as well as overall school performance.

Under-achievement

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what problems are faced by her Department when trying to increase parental involvement in education.

Jacqui Smith: We know that the way schools currently involve parents is varied. For example, we know that in primary schools there is a much more inclusive approach to parents, resulting in parents of primary school children feeling more confident about engaging with their child's school. However, we know this is not always the case with secondary schools, where establishing such a relationship is more difficult. Further, we know that some parents, due to the complexities of their own lives or their own educational history, are more reluctant to engage with their children's school.
	We want to help parents and schools to work well together and raise children's achievement. We know that the key to improving parental involvement in children's education is changing attitudes and moving towards a situation where parents are accepted as co-educators and partners in their children's learning, not only in schools but also in local authorities. It is crucial we ensure that the importance of parental involvement is embedded throughout the education chain to establish a culture of parental involvement and encourage a positive, two-way partnership.
	To enable this, we are actively encouraging parents to become more closely involved in their children's education and learning at home and at school. Since 1997, we have sought to enhance parental involvement through a range of measures. These include information for parents such as videos, DVDs, the "Learning Journey" guides and the Parents Centre website; and materials for schools such as the Involving Parents, Raising Achievement toolkit.
	Parental involvement is not only key to the standards agenda, but is equally central to creating a culture of lifelong learning and high aspirations in communities and families, regardless of background. This message has been reinforced by the White Paper "Higher Standards, Better Schools for All".

Indonesia

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the UK Government has made to the Indonesian Government over incidents of violence against the Christian community in Central Sulawesi.

Ian Pearson: Immediately after the recent beheadings in Central Sulawesi, President Yudhoyono condemned what he described as a "sadistic crime", and sent extra police to the area to ensure that violence did not flare up. The British ambassador in Jakarta has discussed the issue with senior Indonesian officials and expressed the UK's shock at the incident.
	In September this year, President Yudhoyono stressed that the state guaranteed every citizen religious freedom and called on the police and members of the public to act to prevent violence against any faith. We co-sponsored, with the Indonesian Government in Bali in July, an international conference to promote inter-faith understanding and harmony. We will continue to co-operate with them on this important objective.

Data Protection

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will investigate the Royal Free hospital's complaints handling arrangements; and if she will take steps (a) to remind the hospital authorities of the exemption of hon. Members from data protection rules concerning patient confidentiality and (b) to encourage them to deal with hon. Members' complaints more promptly.

Jane Kennedy: While Members of Parliament are not prevented from accessing patient records by the Data Protection Act 1998, it is important to distinguish between this Act and the separate common law obligations of confidentiality under which patients records are held. Access to records held in confidence must be with the consent of the patient concerned. Right hon. and hon. Members should ensure that they have this consent prior to undertaking investigations on behalf of their constituents.
	The Department has published a code of practice on confidentiality for the national health service that provides comprehensive guidance on the use and disclosure of patient health information. This states that:
	"Careful consideration of any written authorisation and prompt action are key, e.g. where an MP states, in writing, that she/he has a patient's consent this may be accepted without further resort to the patient."

HIV/AIDS

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the cost-effectiveness of the refusal to grant free HIV treatment of some migrants;
	(2)  what representations she has received regarding the provision of free HIV treatment to migrants in the UK.

Jane Kennedy: Diagnostic testing for HIV, and any associated counselling is free to all. However, subsequent treatment should the test prove positive is not and those people who are not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, or otherwise exempt from charges, are expected to pay for any national health service hospital treatment provided. This has always been the case since the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations were introduced in 1989. We believe that the overseas visitors charging regime is about more than just the protection of NHS resources. Equally important is the protection of the principle that the NHS exists primarily for the benefit of those who are living legally in the UK, and not for those who are not. The Government have to balance public health responsibilities, and responsibilities to individual patients, with its wider responsibilities in terms of immigration and asylum policy. Such responsibilities cannot be assessed in purely monetary terms.
	A number of voluntary bodies and other organisations with an interest in HIV/AIDS have written to Ministers on this matter in recent months. In addition, the Health Select Committee covered this issue in its report "New Developments in Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Policy" published in March 2005, to which the Government responded in July 2005.

NICE (Drug Approvals)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that appraisals of new drugs are carried out in a timely and expeditious manner.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 9 November 2005
	I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I gave on 3 November 2005, Official Report, columns 51–52SW.

Primary Care Trusts (Oxfordshire)

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions there were between her Department and the Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority on putting primary care trust commissioning in Oxfordshire out to tender prior to its announcement.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 9 November 2005
	No discussions were held with Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority (SHA) regarding their proposals prior to their submissions. We wanted SHAs, in partnership with local stakeholders, to identify various options for the reconfiguration of PCTs locally, which would then be assessed by the external panel against the criteria in "Commissioning a Patient-led NHS". If the proposals are adjudged to meet these, they will be subject to full public consultation.

Asylum Seekers/Immigration

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juvenile asylum seekers are being held in (a) reception centres, (b) detention centres and (c) removal centres.

Tony McNulty: The number of children detained with their families under Immigration Act powers will change from day to day. However, internal management information shows that, as at 12 October, there were 53 children detained with their families under Immigration Act powers. These figures are not broken down into asylum and non-asylum cases.
	The Home Office produces a quarterly snapshot of the number of persons held under Immigration Act powers for the last Saturday of each quarter. The number of persons who had claimed asylum at some stage and were under the age of 18 on 25 June 2005, and where they were detained, is shown in the table.
	Information on the total number of persons detained under Immigration Act powers are published on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	
		Asylum seekers under 18 recorded as being in detention in the United Kingdom solely under Immigration Act powers as at 25 June 2005, by place of detention(30)(31)
		
			 Place of detention Total detainees 
		
		
			 Immigration Service removal centres  
			 Yarl's Wood 40 
			 Oakington Reception Centre 30 
			 Immigration short term holding facilities  
			 Manchester airport * 
			 Total 70 
		
	
	(30) Figures rounded to the nearest five, with * = 1 or 2, and exclude persons detained in police cells and those in dual detention.
	(31) Persons detained under Immigration Act powers who are recorded as having sought asylum at some stage.

Asylum Seekers/Immigration

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people who have settled permanently (a) legally and (b) illegally in the UK in each year since 1980.

Tony McNulty: Statistics on persons granted settlement in the United Kingdom since 1960 was published in Table 5.6 of the annual Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2003". Copies are available from the Library of the House and on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	The 2004 edition is due to be published on 22 November 2005.
	No government has ever been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who settle in the UK illegally, during the course of a year.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many employees in his Department requested training to improve their (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills in each year since 2002;
	(2)  what training in (a) literacy and (b) numeracy is offered to employees of his Department.

Charles Clarke: The Departments internal training providers IND College and the Centre for Learning and Development keep records of attendees on their courses but do not keep central records of training arranged locally through external providers.
	The Department seeks to embed literacy and numeracy as part of the job related development opportunities available to staff. It is therefore difficult to assess all staff development offered that embed literacy and numeracy skills but details of the numbers of staff who have attended training for 2002 to 2004 are in the following table.
	
		Table 1: Applications for internal provision of literacy development opportunities
		
			   Number of applications 
			  Course type 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 IND "Back to Basics"(36) 150 108 72 
			 Non-IND, Non-Agency "Key Skills for Work-  courses(36) 136 129 82 
		
	
	(36) These courses have a core literacy element.

Police

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on advertising for the recruitment of police officers for each of the last 10 years.

Hazel Blears: Home Office spend on police recruitment advertising including regulars and special constables for each of the last 10 years (there was no spend in 1995–96) is as follows.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Spend 
		
		
			 1996–97 1,765,748 
			 1997–98 370, 049 
			 1998–99 315,261 
			 1999–2000 845,771 
			 2000–01 6,020,844 
			 2001–02 5,917,686 
			 2002–03 4,360,476 
			 2003–04 4,169,590 
			 2004–05 1,885,559

Youth Justice Board

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the study undertaken by the Youth Justice Board with the courts to explore the factors that influence sentences.

Harriet Harman: I have been asked to reply.
	The Youth Justice Board has commissioned research which seeks to identify:
	(a) best practice by Youth Offending Teams in the provision of pre-sentence reports to judges and magistrates when young people under 18 are sentenced;
	(b) the factors influencing custodial or community sentences being given, especially in cases which are on the "cusp" of custody; and to
	(c) understand any regional differences in sentencing in cases which appear similar.
	The research is being undertaken by the Policy Research Bureau working with MACRO. It is taking place in 16 Youth Offending Team areas and includes interviews with magistrates and judges in those areas. It is similar in nature to earlier research undertaken in the adult criminal courts by Professor Mike Hough, Dr. Andrew Millie and Dr. Jessica Jacobson. Their findings were published in the report "The Decision to Imprison, Sentencing and the Prison Population" in 2003 by the Prison Reform Trust. It also supports a three year longitudinal study being undertaken by RDS section of the Home Office, using court records to explore the factors influencing sentencing decisions within both adult and youth courts. This study will be tracked to examine the relationship between offender characteristics, sentence content and outcome.
	It is expected that the Youth Justice Board will publish the findings of the current research in the autumn of 2006.

Ballot Papers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2005, Official Report, column 1165W, on ballot paper descriptions, for what reasons the number of descriptions is limited to five.

Harriet Harman: Clause 47 of the Electoral Reform Bill provides for there to be up to five alternative party descriptions registered with the Electoral Commission. This implements the Electoral Commission's recommendation in "Standing for election in the United Kingdom", published in June 2003. It would allow one description each for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the United Kingdom as a whole and would simplify the use of party descriptions for the benefit of candidates and returning officers.

Government Websites

Charles Hendry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  what steps the Government are taking to ensure that .gov.uk websites attain the AAA standard of accessibility; and what target date has been set to meet these standards;
	(2)  which Government websites, have achieved the AAA standard as specified in the world wide web consortium's web content accessibility guidelines.

Jim Murphy: I have been asked to reply.
	There is no centralised monitoring of UK Government websites for compliance with the W3C's "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines" and the accessibility levels they define.
	The Cabinet Office published the "Guidelines for UK Government websites" in 2002 to assist public sector web developers with the application of the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility guidelines. The Department has extensively promoted accessibility awareness and continues to keep web accessibility standards and technical developments under review. Responsibility for the application of accessibility guidelines rests with individual Government Departments, agencies and local authorities.

Hereditary Peers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2005, Official Report, column 1166W, on hereditary peers, whether the Government plan to lower the candidacy age for hereditary peer by-elections to 18.

Harriet Harman: The Government made it clear how they intend to proceed with the reform of the Lords in their 2005 manifesto, which includes legislation to remove the remaining hereditary peers. While there remain a wide range of views on the proper way forward, it is important to determine the part the second chamber plays in the parliamentary processes before other issues, including membership qualifications.

Public Authorities

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what guidelines she has issued to (a) Network Rail, (b) the Association of Train Operating Companies, (c) individual train operating companies, (d) the Office of Rail Regulation, (e) the Health and Safety Executive, (f) the Strategic Rail Authority, (g) the Rail Passengers Council, (h) the passenger transport authorities, (i) the International Rail Regulator, (j) the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority, (k) Rail Safety and Standards Board, (l) the Rail Accident Investigation Branch and (m) the Health and Safety Commission's Railway Industry Advisory Committee on whether they are public authorities for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Harriet Harman: Specific guidelines have not been issued by the Department of Constitutional Affairs to these bodies on whether they are covered by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
	There are three ways in which a body can be a public authority for the purposes of the Act:
	it can be listed in Schedule 1 to the Act;
	it can be designated as a public authority by order under section 5 of the Act; or
	it can be a publicly-owned company as defined by section 6 of the Act.
	As schedule 1 has been amended by order, an update version of Schedule 1 is available on http://www.foi.gov.uk/coverage.htmschedule1.
	My Department has produced general guidance on coverage of the Act, which is publicly available on our website: http://www.foi.gov.uk/coverage-guide.htm.

Benefits

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many incapacity benefit claims from the North East Milton Keynes Region were (a) registered and (b) successful in each year since 2000;
	(2)  what percentage of incapacity benefit claims were successful in each of the last three years.

Anne McGuire: Information is not available at constituency level. The available information is in the table.
	
		Incapacity benefit claims awarded as a percentage of those received: Great Britain
		
			 Financial year Claims awarded as a % of claims received 
		
		
			 July 2002-March 2003 35.15 
			 April 2003-March 2004 33.76 
			 April 2004-March 2005 34.50 
			 April 2005-August 2005 34.49 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Information is not available prior to July 2002.
	2. The most recent available information is August 2005.
	3. "Claims awarded" are those claims where an actual amount of benefit was awarded.
	Source:
	Central Data Unit for figures up to and including July 2004 and Management Information Systems Programme 04 (MISP04) from August 2004 to August 2005.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of (a) newly retired women, (b) retired women, (c) newly retired men and (d) retired men are eligible for a full state pension in their own right.

Stephen Timms: The available information is in the table.
	
		
			 Great Britain-financial year 2005–06 Percentage entitled to a full basic state pension in their own right 
		
		
			 Newly retired women 30 
			 Retired women 47 
			 Newly retired men 85 
			 Retired men 87 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Percentages are rounded and relate to the pensioner population.
	2. "Full basic state pension" equals 100 per cent. entitlement and includes those who are entitled to a full basic state pension based fully or partly on their late or former spouse's contribution records. It also includes those who are entitled to a full basic state pension but choose to defer it.
	3. "Newly retired" means those reaching state pension age in 2005–06.
	4. "Retired" means all those over state pension age including those who are "newly retired".
	Source:
	Government Actuary's Department

Agenda for Change

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which costs of the implementation of "Agenda for Change" will fall to local health and personal social service trusts; what additional resources the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety plans to provide to those trusts for that purpose; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The total costs to HPSS organisations of the implementation of "Agenda for Change" in 2005–06 is estimated at some £69 million, although the full effect will vary depending on the details of each trust's circumstances. The Department has made £58.583 million available to health and social services boards, trusts and agencies for the implementation of "Agenda for Change" in the current year 2005–06. Additional funding of £70 million in 2006–07 and £80 million in 2007–08 has been proposed within the draft Budget as published recently.

Civil Service

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the percentage change in civil servant salaries in Northern Ireland has been in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: The annual pay rises awarded to (a) the Northern Ireland civil service and (b) the Northern Ireland Office in each year since 1995 are as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			  NICS below the senior civil service NIO below the senior civil service 
		
		
			 2004 (51)4.65 3.49 
			 2003 3.67 3.0 
			 2002 5.5 5.5 
			 2001 4.85 4.8 
			 2000 4.5 4.5 
			 1999 3.97 3.5 
			 1998 3.2 3.5 
			 1997 3.2 3.2 
			 1996 5.5 5.7 
			 1995 4.7 4.7 
		
	
	(51) 16 month pay deal

Irish League Premier Division

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress is being made in funding the improvements in facilities for customer safety and comfort at each of the Irish league premier division grounds.

David Hanson: Responsibility for funding improvements to facilities for customer safety and comfort at Irish league premier division grounds rests with the venue operators. Assistance in funding such improvements is available from the Sports Council for Northern Ireland (SCNI). SCNI has already provided the following assistance:
	
		
			£ 
			 Club Award total 
		
		
			 Portadown Football Club 331,192 
			 Glentoran Football Club 267,597 
			 Cliftonville Football Club 275,000 
			 Coleraine Football Club 225,000 
			 Ballymena UTD Football Club 245,000 
			 Linfield Football Club 256,590 
			 Newry City Football Club 290,000 
			 Glenavon Football Club 330,000 
			 Institute Football Club 41,900 
			 Limavady United Football Club 30,000 
			 Dungannon Swifts Football Club 25,366 
			 Larne Football Club 15,000 
			 Lisburn Distillery Football Club 12,384 
			 Ards Football Club 40,000 
			 Total 2,385,029 
		
	
	SCNI is currently considering applications for further assistance to improve customer safety and comfort at three Irish league premier division grounds.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the overall cost to public funds of all non-departmental public bodies in Northern Ireland has been in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The cost to the public purse of all non-departmental public bodies sponsored by Departments in the NI Administration and the Northern Ireland Office is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   £ million 
			  Current expenditure Capital investment 
		
		
			 2001–02 1,369.4 91.0 
			 2002–03 1,644.8 63.5 
			 2003–04 1,662.6 95.5 
			 2004–05 1,683.4 119.0 
			 2005–06 1,847.1 175.2

Procurement Policy

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether (a) he and (b) another Minister was advised of the impact in terms of the valid consideration of wider policy objectives consistent with EU rules of the Procurement Policy Review commissioned by the Northern Ireland Executive.

Angela Smith: Following a review of public procurement, the new procurement policy was announced in the Northern Ireland Assembly in May 2002. The overall aim of the policy is to achieve "best value for money" in the procurement of goods, works and services over the lifetime of a contract. Best value for money does not mean the lowest initial cost. It means securing a procurement that meets the user's needs and achieves a balance between quality and cost throughout the life of the asset. Within this definition the policy allows for the consideration of wider policy objectives into procurement, that meet the tests of need, affordability and cost-effectiveness and comply with the UK's EC and international obligations.
	All Northern Ireland Ministers are very aware of the concept of "best value for money" in the context of public procurement in Northern Ireland and Lord Rooker, through chairmanship of the Procurement Board, has specific responsibility for procurement policy,

Fire-related Deaths

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what changes the Government have made to targets for reducing the number of (a) accidental fire-related deaths in the home and (b) deliberate fires since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government made changes to the Service Level Agreement Targets covering the period 1998–99 to 2010 when we introduced a Public Service Agreement (PSA) Target for the Fire and Rescue Service in April 2005.
	The Service Level Agreement Target for reducing the number of accidental fire related deaths in the home was:
	"To reduce the incidence of accidental fire-related deaths in the home by 20 per cent. averaged over the five-year period to March 2004 compared with the average recorded in the five year period to March 1999,"
	The current PSA target for reducing the number of accidental fire related deaths in the home is:
	"To reduce the number of accidental fire related deaths in the home by 20 per cent. by 31 March 2010."
	This includes a floor target:
	"That no local fire and rescue authority has a fatality rate, from accidental fires in the home, more than 1.25 times the national average by 2010."
	The Service Level Agreement for reducing the number of deliberate fires was:
	"To reduce by 30 per cent. the number of deliberate fires by March 2009 from the 1998–09 baseline."
	The current PSA target for reducing the number of deliberate fires is:
	"To achieve a 10 per cent. reduction in the number of deliberate fires by 31 March 2010 from the 2001–02 baseline."

Local Area Agreements

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2005, Official Report, column 449W, on local area agreements (LAAs), 
	(1)  if he will place a copy of each agreed LAA in the Library; and why the website page referred to in the answer does not provide access to copies of each LAA;
	(2)  if he will list the measures which can be applied should certain targets not be met for each of the agreed LAAs.

Phil Woolas: Copies of all LAAs signed to date are in the Libraries of both Houses. The signed LAAs can be found online as part of the LAA toolkit, accessible through both the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website and at:
	http://www.idea-knowledge.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=627986
	I have also placed a copy of the document "Local Area Agreements Guidance" in the Libraries of the House. This document contains a range of detailed information on the creation and operation of LAAs, including performance management.

Mobile Phone Masts

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many planning permission applications for mobile telephone masts in the Kettering constituency have been (a) granted, (b) granted on appeal and (c) refused in each year since 1997.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the planning applications which have been granted for mobile phone masts in West Lancashire since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 November 2005, Official Report, column 1066W to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham).

Planning

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the discretion of local authority planning committees to delegate decisions to unelected officers.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) regards the delegation of suitable decisions to officers as an effective way to improve timeliness of decision making, which is why ODPM encourages all local authorities to adopt a comprehensive system of delegation.
	Decisions can only be delegated to officers by elected members and so they determine the terms on which a delegated agreement operates, the level of member involvement, and the circumstances in which an officer's delegated power to make a decision may not be exercised.
	The LGA and ODPM have jointly published revised guidance on schemes of delegation called "Delivering Delegation". Apart from re-affirming policy on delegation, the new document will give details on the types of decisions that can be delegated and best practice models of delegation schemes.